rest

If you don't rest in genuine ways, you will likely snag and grasp for rest in ways that do not restore.

Sometimes, I'm not very good at slowing down. Sometimes, I pretend I'm super woman.

But I'm not super woman. I can't do it all. Fix it all. Be it all. And I need reminders...

Lately, my reminder has been a walking boot. Literally, slowing me down. Literally, keeping me from doing certain things.

Although I did still climb down and back up the side of a mountain. But I did it slowly... And I had help. So can that count as sort of learning my lesson?

Slowing down, resting, is a very good thing.

In fact, even God rested after completing some work (Genesis 2:2). God, Who does not even become weary or tired (Isaiah 40:28), rested. God, Who doesn't slumber or sleep (Psalm 121:4), rested.

God rested. Before brokenness entered the world, before anyone ever became wrung-out-bone-tired, rest was good. Because God only does what is good (Psalm 119:68).

And God made that time unique and special, because He rested from all of the work that He had done (Genesis 2:3). The time was blessed and sanctified, because He rested. And He rested because His work was done.

We don't feign resting because of a certain day of the week. We rest because the work is done. We rest, and so we experience fullness of blessing.

And the ultimate work of restoration...the impossible that just had to be done but we could see no way to accomplish...has been finished, once and for all. "It is finished." (John 19:30) "So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His." (Hebrews 4:9-10)

You can rest from working. I can rest from working.

And in resting, that time is blessed and sanctified. Set apart and special. Unique.

Being created in the image of God, we are patterned after a God Who rested. So we are created to rest! Add to that, the fact that we live in a broken and wearying world where we get worn down and wrung out, and we definitely need to rest. So hear this gentle but emphatic warning...

If you don't rest in genuine ways, you will likely snag and grasp for rest in ways that do not restore.

Remember, the rest time is unique and special and honored, because it was set apart. Purposed. If we cram and jam more and more work into our lives without purposing to rest, we will need to tap out. But we will often be overwhelmed and tap out of things that are responsibilities we have committed to. We will flake. And blank.

Although the ultimate work is done, there will always be more work to do in working that out and just in our daily lives. But God wasn't done being involved in our lives and in the world when He rested, or when He said "It is finished," or when we were invited to enter His rest. So purpose to rest when a season or segment of work is done. And if those seasons or segments don't naturally occur, create them. Purpose to leave them.

And I'm totally the pot calling the kettle black here. Which is why I'm still in the walking boot...I'm convinced. But can't we all learn this together?

Enter His rest from striving. Know the ultimate work is finished. And from this place of rest, do your daily work. But set apart time for literal rest. And experience increased blessing.